With a wooden sword in his hand, Rio sprinted.

　With the flexibility of a wild animal, he boldly confronts a boy who is a head taller than him.

　His opponent, Jake, also runs up to Rio with a ferocious agility reminiscent of a large silver wolf.
　The smile on his face is one of composure.

　The distance of a dozen or so paces for a normal person is instantly blocked.
　The moment of contact.

I got it... [Nidan kiri]!

　Rio's sword was the first to swing.
　It's my favorite double strike.

　You'll be able to find a lot of people who'll be able to help you.

Yes!

"...... got it. ...... Rio wins.

　They have excellent eyes.

　You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them.
　So that's it.

　I guess that's what it looked like.

　But that's not what actually happened.

"Oops.

"What the ......?

　Jake avoided the attack and Rio was surprised.

　But as soon as Jake's hand reached out, Rio hurriedly backstepped to avoid it.

　After a short pause, the two men came to face each other again.
　Jake is still smiling and smiling, while Rio is sweating.

　Rio, who was fighting, was not the only one surprised by the event.

Oh, no. ......

"...... Why. ...... There's no way I could have dodged that. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　I'm not sure what to make of it.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　That's what they think, and that's why they can't get to the bottom of it.

　I'll give Iris and Maifa an explanation.

It's not that hard. Jake's faster than you, and that's saying a lot.

　At my words, Iris and Maifa look at me in surprise.

It's not possible,......, because he's just as strong as us, if not stronger,.......

　It's not possible.
　Maifa, too, seemed to have come to that conclusion.

　I folded my arms, fiddled with the pebble in my hand, and said.

That's it. You three didn't see my strength for what it was. That means... Jake has reached that level.

　It is common for heroes who have reached a certain level of strength to acquire the skill of "hiding their true strength.

　This skill will always work if you are not aware of it.
　Therefore, it is difficult to detect the ability of a high level hero at first sight.

　In the event that you have any kind of questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.

I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.

It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your time and money.

　And then, when Rio was about to unleash his second [Nidan-kiri], Jake's hand, which had seen through the timing and starting point, grabbed Rio's right wrist holding the wooden sword.

I got him.

I'm not sure what to say.　Why are you doing this ......?

　Rio clenched his fist with his free left hand and tried to hit Jake, but Jake's other hand grabbed his wrist as well.

　Jake sticks his tongue out at Rio.

What are you going to do now, little girl?　What are you going to do, little girl? The wolves are going to eat you.

"Let go of me, ......!

　This time, Rio tried to kick, but...

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I'm not sure what to say.

It's a great way to get a good look at the world.

　This is the first time I've ever seen a woman's face like that.

　You'll be able to see that he's not the only one who's had it.

Now you're in trouble. You better try to get out of this. If you don't, you're in big trouble.

　But there's no way Rio can pull himself out of that state.
　Jake's got more muscle than you do.

　The game is decided.
　I looked at Alma, who was looking at me dumbfounded.

　Then Alma, realizing what was going on, raised her flag in a panic.

"And the game is over!　Jake wins!　Jake wins! Both fighters away!

　But when Jake heard the referee's decision, his mouth twitched in disapproval.

But when Jake hears the decision, he's not happy. You haven't landed a blow yet. Are you jealous, Alma-sensei?



Don't quibble with me. If I'm the referee and I say it's a game, it's a game. Now get away from him.

Okay. d*mn, that was a great idea.

　Jake reluctantly walks away from Rio.

　As he was leaving, he looked at Rio, who was still lying on the gravel, and said.

So let's play again sometime, kitten. I want to f*ck you to the end. Hee hee.

　Jake then left Rio with a wave of his hand.

　Jake headed straight for Cyrus.
　Silas was quick to praise Jake.

He said, "Oh my God!　That's Jake. You're the bravest of the brave. I'll be sure to tell your father about your exploits.

"That would be great. We are a poor noble family, and it's hard enough to get a good brave man as a tutor. I'm not sure if the level of the classes at the bravery academy is too low or not... Even if there is an excellent teacher once in a while, he or she is always talking about the bravery spirit (bravership). I like your idea that power is everything, Silas.

　Jake then glanced at me.

　Silas may or may not have noticed this, but he nodded good-naturedly and said, "Mm-hmm, I guess so.

　I was vaguely aware of this, but decided to go about my own business.

　I walked up to Rio.

　He was lying on the gravel by the river, defeated and crying, hiding his face with his arms.

Rio, can you stand?

　I held out my hand to him, but he remained motionless for a while, whimpering and crying.

　Iris and Maifa were looking at Rio with concern, but even the sisters didn't seem to know what to say.

　I think it's a little unfair, but I'm going to say the words.

"Rio... do you want to be strong?

　Rio nodded, his face still hidden by his arms.

　The pros and cons of giving students the experience of failure and defeat are difficult to determine.

　It depends on how many successes they have had and how strong their competitive spirit is.

　But I believed that Rio would be able to use this experience as a springboard.

　...... No, actually, "I believed" is not a cool thing.
　Half of it was just happenstance.

　I wasn't sure if I should tell Rio that Jake was a better fighter than him and that he was unbeatable.

　I wonder what Rio would have done if I had told him that.
　Would he have stopped fighting, or...?

　But the past of "what ifs" no longer existed.
　All that's left is to move forward into the future.

Okay. I'm going to make Rio... Rio and his friends much, much stronger than they are now.

　I said and held out my hand to Rio again.
　This time, Rio hesitantly extended his hand.

"More than ...... that guy?

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's interested in this.

"...... Really?

Really.

Really, really?

Really, really, really.

...... Okay. I'm gonna give you everything I have. So you... you have to make me strong. Stronger than anyone.

　Rio took my hand and grabbed it.
　His eyes filled with tears of regret as he stared at me.

　I pulled Rio to his feet.
　Rio stood up and wiped away his tears with the sleeve of his dress.

　Meanwhile, Iris and Maifa also stood next to Rio and looked up at me.

"Sir, ...... me too, please!

...... I'm not going to stay silent either. I'm not going to be silent either. ...... I'll pay back for being made fun of.

　I'm not going to be silent either.
　I nodded to both of them.

"All right. I'll take care of Iris, Maifa, and all of you together. I'm going to give you all a good workout, so you three better be ready!

""Yes!"

　The girls' cheerful reply.

　That day, with the sound of the rushing river in the background, we were feverishly working out.